Feelings. Nothing More Than Feelings (Part II)

So, we know that feelings are not the causes for behaviour.  It can be quickly assumed that behaviourist thus ignore their existence.  I'm not here to take feelings away from you; rather, lets think about their existence as a byproduct of a consequence.

We're happy when we have received or are in the presence of a preferred item, activity or outcome.  That could be getting a hug, eating some chocolate, thinking about a concert we went to, seeing an A+ on your report card.  All of these things are potential reinforcers.  I say "I love you" (a behaviour) which leads to getting a hug (reinforcement) which leaves me feeling happy (the feeling).  You pay the cashier one dollar (a behaviour) which leads to eating a chocolate bar (reinforcement) which leaves you feeling happy (the feeling)  Therefore, happiness occurs AFTER one's received reinforcement.

Meanwhile, we're typically sad when these preferred items, activities or outcomes that we've come to expect are absent.  For example, when your partner has to work late and has to cancel dinner plans, when your team loses at dodge ball this week or when your favourite doughnut is sold out.  You were expecting the usual reinforcement for your actions; however, it did not deliver.  What a disappointment! (or another word for sad).  And if you were disappointed enough, you might even have to do something about it!  Like cry, throw a tantrum or drive to the other side of the city to get what you want.  Did somebody say extinction burst?

It's not that behaviourist won't acknowledge that feelings exist.  We just see them as byproducts of reinforcement (or lack thereof).  Again, the war on words is fought and the behaviourist will lose.  It's far easier to say you're crying because you are sad.  If someone were to ask you why you are sad, you can now say, "Because I'm going through a bit of an extinction burst since I'm not being reinforced as I had come to expect."  They don't teach that on Sesame Street do they?        

Feelings. Nothing More Than Feelings

If this were one of Skinner's pigeons, it probably should read 'The Pigeon Has Private Events Which He's Made Public Through Verbal Behaviours of Reporting His Feelings As Well As By His Behaviour Seen Here: Crossing of the Arms'.  Yes, pigeons (and humans) have feelings.  

Enter behaviourism myth #1: behaviourism does not explain or fails to account for feelings.  

Behaviourists do not discount feelings.  We just don't think they are the causes forbehaviour.  Remember learning in grade school about our 'five senses'? (There's actually seven, but that's another post all together).  When we see, hear, touch, smell, taste, move and resist gravity we are "feeling".  Since a feeling is within the person (i.e., its event is private), it's pretty hard to observe.  We've become adept however at observing a person's behaviour and making good (but not perfect) guesses that a certain feeling has occurred.  People have also learned to label these feelings - a form of verbal behaviour -  in order to make them public.  

Suppose you sense pain (the feeling) in your ankle, then begin to limp and wince (behaviours I can see).  I am probably going to guess you're in pain and offer you some help.  The limping may also temporarily minimize pain  If you actually say, "My ankle hurts" (a behaviour I can hear), then you've really got my attention and hopefully my offer of help will assist in reducing your pain.  The next time your ankle hurts, you might wince, limp and/or say "My ankle hurts" again in order to minimize the pain or get others to give you the help you need.  The behaviourist in me would say, you didn't wince, limp or say "My ankle hurts" because you were in pain; rather, you've learned that by engaging in those behaviours, your pain is likely to diminish, just like it had before.  Your feeling of pain might have set you up to wince, limp etc. but if the feeling of pain did not change and if no one ever responded to these behaviours, you'd probably stop doing them and try something else.  

So, the next time someone asks you, "Why are you limping?"  You could say, "Because in the past, limping resulted in making my pain diminish and so I am limping now in anticipation that the same will occur".  That's a mouthful and probably more information than what someone was looking for.  Alas, it is easier to say, "Because I'm in pain".  This is where perhaps the behaviourist won't win against efficiency.  As long as statements like this are accepted as true, behaviourists might never win this battle of words.  And so, the title 'The Pigeon Has Feelings Too' shall remain.

*Thank you to my classmates in 'Prinicples of ABA' for the discussion on feelings and 'reporting of feelings' that inspired this post.  I think the more we talk about it, the more we will "know".  Good ole B.F. Skinner gets props too!  Check out his book, 'About Behaviorism' for more on this subject.